A POLITICIAN has been blasted after admitting the 'horrendous' cost of closing the UK's 46 emergency fire control rooms - including the one in Winsford.

Fire Minister Jim Fitzpatrick told the Chronicle that the controversial scheme could cost up to £2billion - despite previously insisting it would only cost half that amount.

The local fire control rooms are to be replaced with nine regional centres, sparking fears of worsening response times and job losses.

Remarkably, his admission to the Chronicle was the first time that he had revealed to Fire Brigades Union chiefs the actual cost of the move, which could see half of the 26 phone operators at the Winsford centre made redundant, while others will be forced to relocate to the new North West regional control centre in Warrington.

Mr Fitzpatrick told the Chronicle in August: 'Regional centres will deliver savings of about £20m-a-year after an initial outlay of up to £2bn.'

His comments provoked outrage among union chiefs, who subsequently challenged him over the figures - forcing him to accept they were accurate.

Fire Brigades Union (FBU) general secretary Matt Wrack said: 'It was incompetent of the Government to sign up to plans before they knew the horrendous costs involved. It is irresponsible to fail to accept they made a mistake and think again.

'£2bn is more than the annual budget of the entire fire service. A vast amount of money desperately needed for frontline services will be diverted to a project which won't save a single life.

'We now face the very real risk of cuts to frontline fire services to pay for the rising costs of this project. We need an independent assessment of these plans before they are allowed to proceed any further.'

When the news was originally announced, Cheshire FBU spokesman Dave Williams told the Chronicle that local knowledge would be lost through the move. He said: 'The fact is staff at the Winsford control room save lives. They help fire crews respond to emergencies quickly, and talk the public through difficult situations when they dial 999.'